Christmas Eve Anticipation

Frank: Christmas Eve back 40-50 [70] years ago.  It’s not like Christmas Eve today because the kids, we’ll say, matter of fact there was way more kids then than now, and you were in a family of let’s say 6 to 8-10 or 12 knowing that tomorrow is Christmas Day “what’s happening?”. Because let’s face it we’ll say, in our case in Parker’s Cove we were really excited because we knew we were receiving a large barrel from our grandparents in St. Johns.  We knew there was something in that barrel but where was it at.  We couldn’t find it.  Here it is now Christmas Eve. Did we get it?

Interviewer: So when ye went to bed Christmas Eve night …?

Frank: We were anxious but feeling did the steamer come, did they get to Baine Harbour to get the barrel and where was it at? I went several times to get the barrel. Before we got into John Rodway’s wharf, that’s were the steamer would land, you could smell the barrel because you could smell the apples and oranges you knew the barrel was there but there was no smell around the house.

Interviewer: So you didn’t know where the barrel was …

Frank: Where have they got it hid to because someone would have to go to Baine Harbour, normally it would be Alb Synard, the fellow who had the store there [in Parker’s Cove].  We would always be down to Alb Synard’s and would always get the smell of apples and oranges down  there because he had them in the shop but it was only one little store so where did he have it hid too.

But anyway, when you get up in the morning you would have an apple, you had an orange, and you might have a used pair skates. But all this was stuff that would come from St. John’s, from mom’s mother and father. They used to send this barrel every, every year. We were always looking forward to when Christmas Eve came because they would always put half dozen pair of skates in the barrel, once you already had yours, some other kids in the community wanted a pair of skates. So you’re wondering did the barrel come and did we get any extra skates. But Christmas Eve, we didn’t know that until Christmas morning. This was our excitement overnight Christmas Eve.